Father, son snare 8-foot tuna

Sunday

Most fathers and sons who fish together have a tale, complete with outstretched arms, of the catch that was "this big."

Most fathers and sons who fish together have a tale, complete with outstretched arms, of the catch that was "this big."

Scott Brady and his son, Conor, may need extra arms to tell this one.

The Holliston, Mass., duo hauled in a 580-pound bluefin tuna a mile off the coast of Provincetown two Saturdays ago. The giant fish, more than 8 feet long, pulled their 32-foot boat about a mile, fighting for about 50 minutes, Brady said.

For Conor, who helped hook and pull in the tuna and piloted the boat, it was the thrill of a lifetime, Brady said. For dad, it was a proud moment to see his son make his first enormous catch.

"Catching giants is few and far between," said Brady, who works in sales for CBS TV and fishes commercially on the side. "For the first time with your son, it's pretty special."

Growing up in New Jersey, the 57-year-old Brady said he fished often in the ocean. Earlier in life, he got hooked on fishing for striped bass.

"I used to fish with this retired surgeon who had a tuna boat when he was younger," Brady said. "He told me, 'Don't ever go tuna fishing because you'll be obsessed."'

Brady didn't listen. After investing in heavy rods with 800 yards of line and a boat dubbed Coyote, using live bluefish as bait, it's more than a pastime, and more involved than a trip to the lake with a fishing pole.

His commercial fishing license helps him cover some expenses by selling what he catches. It also means he has to throw back any tuna smaller than 73 inches.

"It's not a hobby for me because it can't be," Brady said. "It just costs too much money to maintain a boat."

Since starting to fish commercially in 1989, Brady said he's caught tuna as heavy as 800 pounds. The world record, according to National Geographic, was a 1,496-pound bluefin tuna hauled in off Nova Scotia in 1979.

"It's just an incredible exhilaration when you hook up," Brady said. "It's a lot of work and a lot of technique."

And a lot of muscle. "People usually throw up after winding it in because you burn so much adrenaline," he said.

On Aug. 16, Brady and his son took to the water early. They hooked their tuna around 7:30 a.m. and hurried to pull in their other rods and get off their anchor. Tuna are able to swim as fast as 55 mph, and they knew they were in for a ride, Brady said.

The massive fish stalled a winch the father and son used to try to pull it on board, but they still managed. Word of their catch spread quickly, and other boaters were waiting at the dock, snapping photos and asking questions.

"It's all 'oohs' and 'aahs,"' Brady said. "For (Conor), he had trouble walking through doorways because his head was so big."

Also waiting was MichaelAngelo & Son Fishery, to whom Brady sold the fish, with a truck and crane. The bluefin was shipped to Japan for sushi, he said.

Brady said he also has two daughters who love to fish. He wanted to catch a big one with Conor before he went back to school this week.

"He just started high school," Brady said. "It was kind of a special thing."

MetroWest Daily News writer David Riley can be reached at 508-626-3919 or driley@cnc.com.

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